‘Preventable deaths like this must stop now’ — Olisa Agbakoba on Chimamanda tragedy
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has sounded the alarm over the state of healthcare in Nigeria, calling for an urgent overhaul of the country’s medical regulatory framework in the wake of the death of Nkanu Nnamdi, one of the twin sons of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
In a statement on Monday, Agbakoba, a specialist in medical negligence litigation, described the tragedy as a stark reminder that preventable deaths like this must stop now. He expressed concern over the reported administration of propofol to the child, stressing that the drug requires strict monitoring due to its risk of cardio-respiratory failure if improperly administered.
While commending the Lagos State Government for initiating an investigation and acknowledging Euracare Hospital’s cooperation, Agbakoba emphasised that any inquiry must be independent and transparent. He warned that medical records are sometimes altered to avoid accountability.
Reflecting on personal experience, he revealed that he had been misdiagnosed for a serious ailment, while his brother narrowly survived surgery performed by a doctor who misrepresented his qualifications. He cited numerous other cases of alleged medical negligence across Nigeria, including fatal complications after routine procedures, children harmed during treatment, and practitioners punished for substandard care.
Agbakoba attributed these incidents to systemic failures rather than isolated events. He criticised the collapse of regulatory structures that once ensured oversight, noting that Chief Medical Officers and Health Inspectors, previously tasked with enforcing standards, no longer perform these roles under current laws.
He also highlighted the dangers of overcentralisation under the Federal Ministry of Health, which has weakened state oversight, and condemned the conflation of policy-making with regulatory enforcement by ministers and commissioners.
Calling for immediate reforms, Agbakoba demanded the establishment of an independent health regulatory authority, the reinstatement of Chief Medical Officer offices at federal and state levels, mandatory inspections of all health facilities, and stronger safeguards to protect patients and preserve medical records.
He stressed that the Adichie tragedy highlights a national crisis, adding, “We cannot continue to lose precious lives to preventable medical errors whilst the regulatory framework remains in shambles. Preventable deaths like this must stop now.”
